Overview
In an effort to provide a clean and affordable lighting solution to rural India, our ‘Light a Home’ project was born. Started in 2012, the project provides high-quality and cost-effective solar lanterns, home lighting systems and solar cookers across India. With this initiative, we have reached hard-to-access villages like Anjaw in Arunachal Pradesh, which can only be reached by foot, and river islands in Assam. Today, we have brought solar energy-based lighting solutions to the more than 90,000 people in remote locations and have provided employment opportunities to many among them.
Strategy
Last-mile energy access initiative
Through ‘Light a Home’, we distribute solar lanterns and individual ‘home lighting systems’ in non-electrified villages of India. We set up ‘Solar Centre Hubs’ across rural India to provide last mile connectivity of high-quality and cost-effective solar lanterns, solar home lighting systems, solar cookers & battery charging stations.
Setting up solar microgrids
We build, own, and operate microgrids in rural belts of India, creating off-grid model villages, with access to quality lighting solutions. Our strategy is to design and develop a service-specific microgrid dedicated to providing household lighting and mobile phone charging. The design requires 90% less solar power generation capacity per customer compared to traditional solar-powered microgrids.
Creating renewable energy hubs, rural engineers and entrepreneurs
We train unemployed youth in operations, maintenance, assembling, repairing, and installation of renewable energy products like solar systems, solar irrigation pumps and biogas units. Many rural youths who receive training in solar systems in our skill development centers become solar entrepreneurs in their areas.
Impact
1,65,000 +
people benefited
124
solar battery charging stations setup
143
schools electrified
800
solar entrepreneurs created
5,000
youth leaders trained as energy technicians
Testimonials
“No one has passed madhyamik (middle school) from this village. I hope to break the jinx and enthuse others to follow suit. I am sure electricity will not only light up our homes, but will help improve the standard of living.”
“This shall make the villagers proud owners with electricity options similar to those available to their brethren in the other cities, despite living in such remote areas. ”
“Working for electrifying Tengabari village was challenging for me as a wife, professor, and mother. In the end, we succeeded and from now, I am going to work for other development work in this village.”
Contact Us
Address
Art of Living International Center
Sri Sri Rural Development Program Trust
21st km Kanakpura Road, Udaypura,
Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560082
